No More Heroes: Assassin Nation
by Killer7Queen
Summary: NMH1 Sequel. Paths cross as a new assassin makes her way up the ranks in a personal quest while a hero returns to his homeland after three years of soul searching and finding himself. But who will be number one of Santa Destroy?
1. Disclaimer

**NMH: AN Disclaimer 1.1**

I'm probably going to add on to this thing a lot when more chapters come. But oh well. I'm broke and can't afford to be sued. Okay. Here we go.

1.) No More Heroes belongs to Goichi Suda, Grasshopper Manufacture, and Ubisoft. And Capcom. Because they totally should have gotten the rights to distribute NMH.

2.) Darth Vader, Storm Troopers, Clone Troopers, and anything else mentioned in the Star Wars universe belongs to George Lucas and his army of undead. Because we all know he has one.

3.) The 501st Legion is a legitimate organization of dudes dressed as Storm Troopers all around the world. I do not condone the killing of 501 members. Or Storm Troopers. Because they will take the boots to me if I did.

You'll understand why 2 and 3 are here in a minute.

4.) If there is anything else that might offend people in this fic, just remember, this is FICTION. The integration of more realistic things is for the sake of drama. The opinions expressed in this story are not the necessarily the opinions of the author. So don't start being a dick because you read something you didn't like. Except that I don't like Sylvia Cristel. That part is true.

5.) Any names or people in my story are FICTIONAL. Any real persons sharing the same names and or likeness is purely coincidental.

5.5) There are some parodies of various popular characters in anime, manga, etc. For parody sake.

6.) Yes, I have played **No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle. **I know the story to it and what all happens. And I must say that I didn't like it. Hence, this story becomes the alternate sequel to the **first** game. If you did like the second game, that's your opinion and you're still welcome to read this if you like. But I must warn you that not many things from Desperate Struggle will be emulated into this fic. But they might be in a sequel fic? Wink wink!

Now that the formalities are out of the way, enjoy.

Or how they say it on Samurai Champloo:

"Just shut up and enjoy the show."


	2. 2FLD

**Chapter 1:**

**2FLD**

"Hhhhhh-huhhhhhhhh...hhhhhh-uhhhhhh...."

A tall, scrawny man wielded a Sith light saber. A Darth Vader helmet sat on his head and cape on his shoulders. He spoke with the signature voice, "You are strong with the force, Mark. But even you cannot defeat me!"

Another scrawny, black-haired, green-eyed twenty-year-old dressed in Jedi robes brandished his green light saber. "You overestimate yourself, Chad. And that shall be your undoing!"

The Darth Vader themesong blared in the background as The Empire Strikes Back played in a Playstation 3 in a messy motel room full of books, boxes, and busts of Star Wars memorabilia.

The warriors clashed sabers. Chad had the upper hand with his strength. Mark held steady then broke from the struggle by backflipping over a couch. The duel went on with the rivals slashing and swinging all around the room. Mark threw magazines at Chad. Chad dodged and deflected them as he went. Chad stepped on Mark's toe. Mark dropped into a chair and rolls out of it. They grind beams again.

"Your defense is a fail on it's own, Mark."

"Your mom is a fail!"

Mark kicked Chad away and they faced each other once again, sabers in hand.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"HEY, OPEN UP GUYS! IT'S ME!"

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Chad and Mark sighed and sheathed their weapons. Chad pulled off his helmet. Mark answered the door.

"What is it, Mike?"

Mike was a tall, chubby nerd with short messy hair, acne-encrusted skin and wore a Cranberry T-Shirt. He exclaimed, "Dude! Did you see the news?"

"What about it?"

"Turn on the TV!"

Mike burst into the motel room and ran towards the television. Chad stared at Mark for a minute. Mark simply rolled his eyes and shrugged. The two met Mike on the couch and flipped the television to ISZK News. A brunette reporter spoke about a recent murder.

"Federal Agents and local Dallas officials are currently investigating the recent multiple homicide of five men in the Plainview area. All five victims were found in the home of victim Brian Matthews earlier last week. Matthews and company are all related members of famous Star Wars fan club, the 51st Squad. The 51st, also known as Vader's Foot, is a famous organization named after Darth Vader's elite guard. The fan club is known for its members dressing up as Storm and Clone Troopers at many Star Wars events and science fiction conventions. Federal agents and investigators have yet to release anymore details regarding the incident or the victims. However, the leader of the 51st has posted a message on their website that he and fellow members are more than willing to cooperate with the authorities in the investigation. The 51st Squad also send condolences and regards to the families of the victims."

Mike stated, "Five members of the 51st....gone...just like that..."

Chad patted Mike on the shoulder, "Yeah, that's a shame, man. A real tragedy."

Mike clenched his fists. "It's insane, dude! Who would want to kill a bunch of good Troopers like that?"

Mark mused as he grabbed a beer from the fridge, "Jedi? A disgruntled fanboy perhaps?"

"It's what took down Lennon." Chad smugly remarked.

"You know they canceled all their upcoming appearances because of the killings, right?" Mike inquired.

"Yep." The Jedi and Sith replied.

Mike threw his hands in the air, "How can you be so cool about this? Five of the most elite crew in the world are _dead_! _DEAD!_"

Mark held his hand up, "Relax, Mike! We don't even known the motive. For all we know, terrorists could have killed 'em."

Mike's eyes widened, "You think?"

Chad went on, "That _is_ possible. The 51st _is_ considered by many geeks to be a symbol of American and world power. Killing them could send a message to nerds everywhere."

Mark joked, "Enemies of the Republic."

Mike stood up and panicked, "You know what this means? We could be going to war!"

Chad assured the nerd, "I seriously doubt that it will be like that. The whole incident could have been some the fault of some broke idiot that thought some Star Wars merch could make him some cash."

"But, who would go so far as to do that?"

"Plenty of people, Mike." Chad spoke. "Lots."

"That's fucked up, man." Mike lowered his head.

"That's life, man." Chad added.

Mark put an arm around Mike. "Look, five men that _happened_ to be 51's are dead. We don't know how. We don't know why. But we will find out sooner or later. Why don't you go back downstairs and enjoy the convention? We'll keep you posted if we find anything else out, ok?"

"Alright." Mike sighed, "Still got a bunch of stuff to do anyway. Thanks guys, I'll catch you later. We might have a saber vigil after by the way. After all the stuff is over for the day."

"Thanks. Tell us later and we'll go." Mark assured him.

"Sure thing guys!"

Mark shut the door. Chad turned around and they stared at each other for a moment. Chad raised up a Storm Trooper helmet from under the couch. They both laughed.

Mark pointed, "Did you see the pictures of those guys?"

Chad laughed, "I _know_! I was totally about to crack up when I saw them!"

"When I saw that one guy, I was totally thinking about that force choke I did! It was awesome!"

"I know! My saber still smells like that one dude with the crappy cologne!"

"And that one guy tried to fight us with those new sabers. What a dumbass!"

"I said it once, and I'll say it again." Chad declared, "Nothing beats the old school."

They two nerds held up beers. "To the old school! Still alive, still kickin, still elite!"

Chad calmed down after a few chugs. He asked, "Are you sure we aren't going to get in trouble with the UAA about this?"

"_Relax_." Mark told him, "There's no way they can pin those guys on us. Even so, we're _assassins_! We're bound to kill a few people here and there. It's _collateral damage_! Or we can tell the UAA it was self-defense and that they came onto us."

"With their crappy sabers and fake guns that _we_ happen to have?"

"Sure, why not?"

"You are a bigger Sith than me!"

Mark laughed an spoke like ObiWan Kenobi, "It was for the greater good."

They both cracked up and laughed some more.

Suddenly, Mark froze. His eyes lit up with alarm.

Chad stopped laughing and asked, "What is it?"

"A disturbance!"

"What?"

**CRAASSSSSSHHHHHH!**

Shattered glass, coimc books, and merchandise flew everywhere.

Chad and Mark stood back up. A person stood in front of what used to be the hotel window. A closer look revealed the person to be a muscular woman dressed in a blue, Japanese schoolgirl uniform. She wore blue tennis shoes on her feet and an armguard over her left arm. A large, red, Japanese, oni mask radiated white fur around it and covered the woman's head. She detached a cable from her body that hung from the top of the building.

The woman called out in a commanding voice, "Chad Darkside and Mark Light of 2FLD!"

Chad exclaimed, "Holy shit! I knew it! I knew they were sending someone after us! They found out! They fuckin' found out!"

"SHUT UP!" Mark shouted."She's not an agent!"

The woman went on, "I've come to challenge you for your position as Rank 13 of the UAA's Texas Top 20!"

Mark called the woman out, "You think you can handle taking on both the light and the darkside?" He activated his Jedi light saber.

Chad unleashed his Sith saber. "Then come get some!"

The woman produced a strange light saber of her own. She pressed a switch and the saber shot out a rod from the base. A prong shot out from the top and the bottom of the rod. And a large, blue stream of light flashed between them. The woman shifted into a fighting stance.

Chad's eyes lit up with glee, "Holy shit! It's a light zanbato!"

Mark complimented her, "That's a bold weapon you have there. But no weapon is greater than the force!"

Chad laughed, "Nonetheless, after we kill you, that weapon is going into my collection!"

The three assassins got into position. Chad made the first move and charged at her. The masked one swung her beam and they fought. Chad tried to push her towards the open air. She caught onto his trick and grabbed him. One shove nearly sent him towards the edge. He caught himself two feet before the drop. He angrily retaliated by telekinetically throwing the couch at her. The woman swung her beam and split the furniture in two as it flew out the room.

Mark slashed at the attacking woman. She deflected his blade with her armguard and engaged him as a target. They battled carefully around furniture and stacks of Star Wars memorabilia. Mark skillfully defended himself against the woman's methodical wrath. She fought with a steady pace and with powerful upper-body strength but swift enough footwork to dodge his advances.

Chad raised the stakes against the invading assassin by force throwing items at the woman. She balanced her defense between the two forces. Her arm and her zanbato alternated between either holding off saber attack or destroyed some priceless collectible. Mark yelled at Chad, "STOP BREAKING ALL OUR STUFF!"

Chad yelled back, "GET HER OUT OF HERE THEN!"

Mark and Chad sent a whole wave of furniture and after the woman. She cut and slashed everything in her way from magazines to a toaster. Chad threw a bomb.

**FLASSSSHHHH!**

Mark raised his hand and telekinetically flung a whole mattress at the masked woman. The woman, not affected by the flash bomb, hacked the bed into pieces. The other mattress followed in the same fate.

Mark and Chad ran out the hotel room door. Chad jammed the card lock with a quick force grip. They heard the handle rattle as the woman tried to get out.

"That should hold her off!" Chad remarked as they ran towards the elevator.

**POW!**

"What the hell?" They looked back at their room. The woman punched a whole in the door and hacked it into pieces.

"SHIIIIIIIIT!" They ran up the hall and found the stairs. Chad shut and force-jammed the door.

"We'll take her on the roof!" Mark declared.

"Are you nuts? Let's get the hell outta here!" Chad protested.

"No! If we try to leave, we'll draw attention!"

"What makes you so sure about that?"

"They're the UAA, Chad! They don't give a shit! And if she doesn't find us then the Feds will! If we want to get out of this alive, she has to die!"

**POW!**

The assassin kicked open the door below them. The Jedi and Sith ran upstairs until they reached the top. Chad force-threw the rooftop door open and jammed it behind them. The warriors powered on their light sabers and waited. For a minute, it was quiet. Then-

!

They froze in anticipation of their pursuer.

"What the fuck is she doing?" Chad asked.

A large, narrow, swiveling beam of light punctured the door.

"OH HELL NO!" Chad ran at the door.

Mark called out, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Putting an end to this shit!"

Chad shoved his saber into the door and melted a hole clean through it. He stabbed it five more times to try and kill the woman. He eventually slashed the hinges and threw the door down the stairs. She was gone.

"Don't do it!" Mark cried out.

**VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRM!**

The woman lunged from the side with the beam-saber. This time, a swiveling, screw-like beam protruded from the handle. Chad dodged her advances and fervently swiped at her to keep his distance. Then he noticed it.

"Is that...a beam drill?" The Sith-nerd asked.

"Yes. Yes it is, Chad." Mark replied.

The woman stood still for a moment. She deactivated her saber and removed a strange part at the top of the hilt. She replaced the gadget with a familiar piece on top of the weapon. She activated it and the zanbato returned in three protrusions.

Chad stared in amazement. "It has attachments, Mark."

"That's not very relevant right now, Chad."

The three assassins continued their battle on the rooftop. Chad used his strength and tried to move the woman towards the edge of the building. Mark tried to wear the woman down. The woman held strong against the two nerds with patience and skill. She sustained a few saber burns but showed no weakness. The fighters picked up the pace and the battle grew more intense. Chad and Mark swung at her from all angles. She kept slashing and kicking through their offenses and cut some damage into the duo.

**ZZZZZZZZT!**

The masked woman's beam-zanbato burned out. Chad and Mark halted their attacks. They smiled. Mark mused, "It seems the force is not with you today." Chad laughed and mocked, "Your Japanese new-school skills are no match for us!"

**FSSSSSSSSSHT!**

"What the?"

Chad's red light saber faltered and retreated back into its hilt. Mark's light sword did the same. Chad stared at it and muttered, "Oh shit!" Mark glared at him. "You forgot to plug them into the chargers again, didn't you?" Chad argued, "You were charging your cell with it!"

The woman shook the handle of her weapon attentively. A moment later, the beam-zanbato returned. She spoke behind her in mask, "Let me give you some advise." The two nerds stared at her with awe and fear creeping on their faces. "Old school may have come first. But that does not mean it's the best!"

"SHIIIT!"

The masked woman charged after them. Chad and Mark slammed her with a massive wave of their powers. Mark's force-wall pushed the woman across the building. Chad tried to force choke her. "Keep on! Only a little further!"

The woman struggled against the power of the force but held steady. She took one step away from the edge. Then another. And another. She gradually regained her position against the force-geeks minute by minute and showed no weakness. Chad and Mark increased their power. But the woman still kept marching towards them.

"She's not stopping, man!" Chad nervously spoke.

The duo sent all their power at her and pushed her back a few more feet. She held her position and gradually marched again a minute later. Chad and Mark kept trying to choke her or throw her. But the felt their powers beginning to subside.

"She'd getting closer, man! She's getting closer!" Chad panicked.

"SHUT UP!"

The oni-woman's advance got faster as their powers drained. Her walk grew faster. Then she started to run.

"WHY WON'T SHE DIE!"

**ZRRRRRRRM! ZRRRRRRRRRRRRM!**

Silence.

Two heads flew in the air, followed by their bodies. They fell twelve stories into the ballroom.

**CRAAAAASSSSSSSSSSH!**

The woman watched from above as people gathered around the bodies. "Fools cannot move mountains." She pulled out a cellphone from her pocket. She called a number in its list.

"It's done. The targets have been eliminated."

"Someone called the cops. We're parked in the back of the lot. Hurry."


	3. Painkiller Introduction

**Chapter 2:**

**Painkiller Introduction**

The oni-mask assassin put away her cellphone. She ran to another part of the building where she kept her repelling equipment. In one quick minute she packed her things up and dashed down five flight of stairs. At the faint sound of other people running up the stairwell, she entered the seventh floor and walked swiftly to another emergency stairs and entered a store room. A quick change of clothes turned the assassin schoolgirl into a simple ninja fangirl with a good luck cat mask to match. She blended in with a crowd of sci-fi geeks and anime nerds hanging around in the lower floors. The lobby and convention area were full of cops and puzzled nerds wondering what was happening. The woman slipped past them and made her exodus across the parking lot with many other nerds fleeing from the commotion. A gray Prius waited for her at the back of the lot. She opened the front passenger door and climbed in. The car drove off.

A twenty year old woman drove the car with cigarette in her mouth. She was a tan skinned girl with brown hair and eyes. She dressed in a simple red blouse with just a black bra under it, frilly miniskirt, and wedge sandals. Her fingernails were a bright shade of red that reflected everything around them.

An older man lay in the backseat with a laptop in his hands. He had messy brown hair and a faint beard. A trucker hat kept the Texas sun out of his blue eyes and his shirt smelt of sweat, weed, and pizza. His pants and shoes had various stains and scribbles on them.

The assassin in the front passenger seat pulled off the cat mask. She was a young woman with long, pulled back, black hair. She had nauturally tan skin and determined blue eyes.

(Passenger Seat)

**Name:** Asuka Miike**  
Alias:** Jigoku Tabi**  
Age:** 18**  
Ethnicity:** Japanese-American**  
Height:** 5'6"**  
Weight:** 182 lbs**  
Occupation:** UAA Assassin**  
Rank:** #14 of the Texas Top 20 (before recent battle)**  
Special Skills:** Disciplines in many forms of wrestling and self defense, high tolerance to pain and most common projectile attacks

(Driver's Seat)

**Name:** Rei Shido**  
Alias:** CLASSIFIED**  
Age:** 21**  
Ethnicity:** American**  
Height:** 5'7"**  
Weight:** 110 lbs**  
Occupation:** Asuka's Personal Manager (self-appointed)**  
Special Skills:** Diplomacy, Logistics, Negotiations

(Backseat)

**Name:** Steve Sideburns  
**Alias:** CLASSIFIED  
**Age:** 32  
**Ethnicity:** American  
**Height:** 6'0"  
**Weight:** 135 lbs.  
**Occupation:** Mechanic  
**Special Skills:** Information, technology, mechanics, repairs, etc

Asuka Miike is an assassin-prospect to the United Assassins Association. Asuka, who originally joined the UAA in California, transferred her Rank from the California branch, to the Texas branch. Although not an official member, Asuka plans to work her way up the Ranks under her persona, Jigoku Tabi. Once an assassin reaches the Top 10 of a state's list, he or she becomes a full member of the UAA. After the recent deaths of duo 2FLD, she will become #13 of the Texas Top 20.

Rei reprimanded Asuka. "Was all that shit really necessary?"

Asuka spoke in a stoic tone, "Honestly, I'm not sure. But I am sure that, chances are, I would be in a trickier situation had I not done so."

Steve reported from the back, "The incident's online now. Right now there are five videos of the two dudes falling into a Texas sci-fi convention."

Rei hit the steering wheel. "See? You know Eugene's not gonna like that! We're supposed to be cool and quiet about this! Not jumping off buildings and throwing other people off them!"

Asuka calmly retorted, "I didn't plan on them falling off the building. That just happened."

The two companions of Ms. Tabi, Rei Shido and Steve Sideburns, work as her support. Rei, Asuka's self-appointed manager and personal assistant, handles negotiations with the UAA, arranging battles, and the assassin's financial affairs. Steve made the duo a trio with his technical skills with nearly anything capable of holding internet and then some. He works as an intelligence gatherer and information control for the group. Together, they form Team Jigoku.

Rei held her cigarette between her fingers and turned on a street. "It doesn't change the fact that only amateurs get away with such carelessness! And they don't get very far with a bullet in the brain!"

Asuka reminded her, "We _are_ amateurs, Rei. That's why we are where we are. And we still have a long way to go. What has happened, happened. There's no changing it. The only thing we can do is learn from mistakes and keep moving forward."

"You can't learn from mistakes if you're dead, Asuka!"

"That's easy for you to say."

"Fuck you!" Rei snapped.

The car was silent for a moment.

Rei wondered, "What kind of assassin goes by the name 2FLD anyway?"

Steve piped in again, "It's an acronym. Two sides of the force. Light and dark."

"That's lame. Sounds like a retarded boy-band to me."

Asuka remarked, "Regardless of the name, they were formidable opponents. Crass, but skilled."

"Nerds." Rei rolled her eyes.

The team drove all the way back to their temporary retreat in the form of a motel on the edge of town. Their headquarters was a two-bed suite with a simple bathroom and cable TV. A large, black, long-haired labrador greeted them when they opened the door. He pushed Rei and Steve out of the way and wagged his tail before Asuka.

"Yes, we're home, Goli-Chan!" Asuka pet the beast.

Goliath, or Goli-Chan, was Asuka's faithful companion she rescued from the home of a previous target whose favorite past time, aside from murder, was dog fights.

"He better not have chewed up my stuff again!" Rei warned Asuka.

"He can't help it." Asuka cooly protested, "He gets nervous when he's locked in a small room for long periods of time."

Rei rolled her eyes, "Tell that to my last cellphone."

The team and dog shuffled inside the room and sat down for a rest. Rei sat on the couch with a soda in hand. Asuka and Goliath sat together on the floor.

Steve reported, "Eugene's on." He set his laptop on the end of the table. A webcam window appeared. A bald man in a designer three-piece suit and rectangular sunglasses sat in his office. He gave a subtle smile and spoke in a warm, formal tone.

"Good evening, Team Jigoku."

Rei greeted back, "Hello, Eugene!"

Eugene Masters was Asuka's UAA Agent. He originally recruited Asuka into the Association in California eight months ago after she unknowingly killed a ranked assassin. Instead of sending someone to dispatch her, Eugene took interest in Asuka's skills and introduced to the business of killing.

"First of all, let me congratulate you, Asuka, on your new title as Rank #13. However, I must chastise you for your excess. The UAA does not condone such public executions."

Asuka confessed, "I admit the incident did not go exactly as planned. However, given the circumstances, I'm pretty sure that a public incident was bound to happen."

"They were already deemed rogue after the murders. All you had to do was kill them."

Asuka argued."They did not exactly go down easy. And had they not hid in the first place, the job would have been done days ago. With all that said, I think we can still call this a victory."

Rogues were assassins who had violated UAA regulations. Some rule violations will only result in fines. However, upon breaking either too many rules or one very big rule results in an assassin being deemed a Rogue. Rogues are punished either through banishment from the UAA, imprisonment (depending on state law) or death via the Agents. UAA assassins, however, are also allowed to kill Rogues to increase their rank. Prospects, like Asuka, are required to kill a certain amount of Rogues in order to become a full-fledged killer for the organization.

2FLD had violated Association laws through the killing of non-assassin personnel and fleeing from a ranked fight. Asuka was supposed to battle the duo nearly nearly a week before their recent demise. However, with their current situation, the two killers chose to go into hiding.

Eugene went on, "Either way, if you want to become a full member, you have to keep improving your skills. Only the elite shall inherit the glory. And things will only get harder from here. This is the American Dream and Liberty wants you to kill for her. Your reward money shall be deposited in the morning. I'll inform you of the next target later this week. Until then, enjoy your victory. And may there be many more in your future."

Eugene logged out of the private webcast.

The Team spent the rest of the evening regrouping. Rei cooked food on a portable stove while Steve did some cleaning.

Asuka retreated into the bathroom with a medikit to tend to her wounds. She took a quick shower to wash herself off and then assessed the damage done to her body. She sustained some scrapes and bruises. The worst damage were a couple of second degree burns on her legs from the saber fight. The remedy: some neosporin and bandaids. Upon looking in the mirror, Asuka noticed a large bruise-ring around her neck from the two men using their powers against her. _Damn. I can't let anything get that close again._

"Food's ready!"

Asuka quickly slipped into a shirt and a pair of shorts. She shook off the thoughts of the recent fight and finally opened the door. _Just another day._


	4. Overtime

**Chapter 3:**

**Overtime**

Team Jigoku rallied together for dinner. Rei prepared the food while Steve cleared the table. Asuka and her loyal companion, Goliath, sat together on one side of the long coffee table while Steve sat across from them on a couch and Rei distributed the plates. She had made a moderate meal of cheeseburger macaroni for Steve and herself. Asuka would be eating a plate of beef curry made from leftover curry of previous meals and some beef Rei scored a deal on at a local store. Rei was about to seat herself at the end of the table when Asuka interrupted her.

"Forgetting someone?"

Goliath let out a little moan that translated, "Where's my food?"

Rei spurned Asuka, "He's your dog. You feed him!"

Asuka stood back up and grabbed Goliath's metal dog bowls. She searched near the sink outside the bathroom and picked up a generic brand of canned dog food, something she disapproved. Asuka asked aloud, "Did you just get canned food?"

"Yes! It was on sale!"

"Why not get the good stuff in the little bags? Or at least dry kibble?"

"Cuz it was on sale! And you know what happened the last time we bought the dry food! It spilled in the car and attracted ants!"

Asuka sighed and opened up the can. She was very attached to Goliath and wanted the best things for him. And a can of smelly, gelatinous fat-meat product was not her idea of a meal for her prized pet. But it would have to do for now. She dumped the slop into the bowl and blessed it with a shot of sake. The other bowl she filled with water. She returned to the table and set Goliath's dinner next to the table. Before giving him his food, she scooped a large spoonful of beef curry and dumped it on top of the pile. "There you go. At least the curry's good for you." Rei rolled her eyes. Goliath sniffed at the edible slop topped with rice and sauce and bit into it. Goliath had too big of an appetite to be picky. Asuka resumed her place at the table with spoon in hand.

Rei resumed position as mediator of the group and began her normal routine of addressing the current issues.

"So. First order of business: Congratulations, Asuka, for completing your latest mission. Because of you, we are saved from starvation and homelessness once again."

"Here, here!" Steve cheered.

They all raised their glasses to toast and drank.

"Thank you. And you're welcome." Asuka spoke humbly.

Rei asked Asuka questions like an agent, "How do you feel? Are you alright? What's the damage report? Do we need a doctor to look at you?"

"Nothing I can't walk off. Some scrapes and burns--"

"Oh my god! What the hell is that?" Rei pointed to the bruise-ring around Asuka's neck. Asuka replied, "It's nothing major. It'll go away."

"Did someone actually choke you?" Steve exclaimed. "Someone actually got their arms around you and choked you?"

"They were telekinetic." Asuka told them.

"Holy shit!" Rei looked at the bruise closer. "They had powers and they really got ahold of you!"

Asuka reminded them, "Yes, they were telekinetic. That was in the file Masters-san sent us. I thought you knew."

Rei retorted, "Yeah, I read the file! But I never actually believed it was like that! Shit! I thought it would be a couple of dorks that could just throw some crap across the room! I didn't know they were that strong!"

Asuka remarked, "They did not go down easy, that's for sure."

Rei sighed, "That's another obstacle you must learn to overcome! If two retarded fanboys can do that much damage, who knows what else is out there!"

Steve inquired, "But how can we fight telekinetics that can block stuff, throw stuff, and choke the shit out of people? That's the million dollar question."

Rei told him, "Research it later and find out. I want us to be prepared next time. We can't make the same mistake twice!...Jeezus, Asuka, you look like an assault victim."

"I'm fine. Wounds heal." Asuka spoke and ate her curry. "Tomorrow's a new day."

Rei calmed herself and focused on the meeting once more.

"We'll touch more on this subject later. But onto other important issues. Second order of business: Paying the bills. We have a check for twenty thousand LBs coming our way. And that must be properly divided. We have one motel bill for a five-day stay that's gonna take a bite. We also have one car undergoing repairs and one car we're renting. Steve, what's the status?"

Steve reported, "The alternator for the Nomad should be arriving tomorrow. If I can get that on, we'll be back on the road in no time. But don't quote me on that until I get the parts. The Armenian guy I ordered the stuff from looked pretty scheisty."

Rei contemplated and sorted, "Very well then. Keep me posted. We also have a cellphone and an internet bill that need some attention. I predict three thousand LBs between the two of them. That leaves groceries, medical needs, and our personal budgets. Anything else?"

Steve prodded. "Aside from us missing one of the biggest sci-fi conventions because of 'business', nothing much."

Rei growled, "Oh grow up, Steve. Cons are a dime-a-dozen."

Steve lowered his head in mild sadness. He wanted to go so bad, but it was too risky to show up to the scene of the crime like that. Even if only he were to go. If the UAA Agents weren't being too protective with the cover-up, then there was the risk of another assassin possibly seeing them.

Steve raised his head when he remembered, "How's your weapon doing?"

Asuka replied, "It seems to be holding up. I actually used the drill gadget today. It actually comes in handy when in a pinch."

The assassin handed Steve her weapon. It was a modified beam katana with the name Gonoichi on the handle. It came with two attachments: the zanbato and the beam drill. However, Asuka noted that, apparently, the weapon was missing pieces, as Gonoichi in Japanese meant "five in one" and there were only two parts, not counting the sword itself. Steve tinkered with the all-purpose tool when it needed repair or when he tried to trace its origin. The battery powering the Gonoichi happened to be a kinetic-charge battery, where one only had to shake the weapon to give it life. However, it also happened to have a USB port installed in the hilt for a wired hook-up.

Asuka assigned Steve with the job of investigating Gonoichi. His nack for mechanics and technology automatically attracted him to the weapon. He took it apart one time to see how it worked and found that Gonoichi was an amalgamation of many different brands of circuitry and technology, as if someone had built it from scratch parts. He connected the hilt to a computer once, via USB, and discovered an unorthodox security system that required a password for access. He thought he could hack into it, and suffered dearly, as the weapon uploaded a virus into the computer, wiping out the hard drive. Had Steve not backed up his files on a separate system, he would have possibly killed himself. But instead of leaving the weapon alone, Steve became obsessed and had been trying to learn what potential and secrets it carried.

"Let's see what's on the teli!" Rei lifted the remote and turned on the TV. ISZK News projected the murder of Chad Darkside and Mark White. A reporter discussed the situation with an analyst about how or why the murders took place. Rei flipped the channels to a couple of other news networks and some other shows. She turned it off after a minute or disappointment. "Fuck it. What's on the underground?"

The "underground" Rei spoke of was KAMIKAZE, a social network web service provided by, and privately owned, by the UAA. On KAMIKAZE, members of the Association from across the country gathered together and talked to each other. They would project photos, videos, and music of all kinds. Some people even made second careers off of KAMIKAZE. There were few rules regarding the online service. Copyright had nearly no effect whatsoever, given that the UAA ran the website privately. And nearly no one outside the registered assassins knew what went on. That was because an assassin could not become a member of KAMIKAZE unless he or she had "completed" at least three "missions". Identity was key as well. No assassin could use the website to track down or kill other assassins. An assassin also could not show private information regarding family or occupation, for the sake of protection. Should anyone break UAA law, it meant extermination by all means. An no one wanted that.

Asuka herself could not help but be internally amused at the idea of killers congregating together electronically and showing their "likes" and "dislikes". Not to mention, when a podcast series was discontinued or a channel was removed, it normally meant the member had been "canceled". It was a cyber circus of sorts. It made Asuka take the killing business less seriously. At least until Eugene informs the group of Asuka's next target.

Rei commanded."Flip on the Rogue Watch. Let's see if there's any nearby."

Rogue Watch was a series of podcasts issued by a couple of UAA workers to help assassins track down Rogues. It helped the killers move up ranks and helped the UAA maintain security. Everyone won.

According to the Watch, there were no known targets within the Houston area aside from the recently deceased 2FLD. There were currently fifteen Rogues in Texas that have yet to be dispatched. "Ah shit!" Rei cursed, "So much for overtime! Guess we'll have to pray for the bastards to land in our lap! Put on the shojo channel. I wanna watch my shows!"

Steve whined, "Do we gotta?"

"You wanna eat, don't you?"

Steve gave in and put on a channel that played shojo anime. Asuka knew that signaled that Rei was pretty much set for the evening. She took the opportunity to take Goliath out for his nightly walk. Assassin and dog exited the motel room without hesitation. She left the parking lot and strolled down the street with Goliath ever close by. The streets were busy with the simple hums of traffic. The buildings glowed with specs and dots of light. All seemed fairly peaceful in its own pace. Goliath sniffed around at building corners and other places to relieve himself while Asuka watched for anything our of the ordinary while dozing in and out of translation as she gazed at the city scape. It was everything and nothing like Japan. It was disorienting at times. She looked down at the street and pet her dog to ground herself back into reality. They kept walking.

Goliath stopped in front of a construction sight and growled. Asuka looked up, "What is it, Goli-chan?" Goliath bared his fangs and dashed into the area. Asuka followed behind. Urgency filled her. Goliath never acted this way unless danger was near. She knew it. There was bloodshed so close she could spit on it.

Goliath stopped in the middle of the site. Asuka caught up with him. Silence. Only the metal beams and skeleton for a building. Goliath looked up and growled some more. Asuka looked up and stared off into the distance. Movement. Someone was there. And it wasn't a homeless man. Homeless men don't just wreak of blood and climb tall structures for the sake of it. Goliath barked and dashed to the side. Asuka followed his movements and moved out of the way.

**SWOOOOOOOP!**

Asuka dodged the swipe of a massive blade. She rolled away and jumped back to her feet. A figure stood above her on a steel beam. He wore a hoodie and jeans like a normal guy. The hood hid the face. Only the shine of the massive blade showed his intent.

"I've been watching you, Masked one. You're very good...But are you good enough to beat me?"

"Who are you?" Asuka asked without emotion or hesitation.

"You can call me the God of Death."

"A shinigami? In the form of a teenager?" Asuka mused.

"I am the new death incarnate! And these are my minions!"

A group of people appeared wearing similar hoodies and various strange masks. They carried an array of weapons from chains, knives, machetes, to a couple of guns.

"I will give you one choice. Join me in my legion, or die!"

"Hold that thought." Asuka requested. She pulled out her cell phone and called Rei.

"What is it? You're interrupting my shows!" the woman growled.

"We're going into overtime." Asuka informed her.

Rei's tone immediately changed from irritated to urgent. "Where are you?"

"Three blocks east at a construction site."

"We'll be there in a minute!"


	5. 3's and 7's

**Chapter 4:**

**3's and 7's  
**

New York- The Union Hotel

Sylvia Cristel stood on a pale-face roof of the building on the outskirts of Manhattan. The wind blew on an early-summer Tuesday and through the tight blond hair she she kept in a bun. Her black designer Chienne business outfit did not flinch against it, nor did her black stilettos falter. She just coolly stood her ground as she met her new recruit. Her new pet project.

The man was a near middle-aged gambler and hustler from Puerto Rico named Coyote Ramirez. Coyote was a tall, tan man with various tattoos lining up his arms. His dark hair flared out into a slight pompadour. And he had eyes like a wolf, hence his name and reputation apparently. He wore the typical attire for a Latin gangster. Tropical shirt unbuttoned and open to reveal a white wife-beater underneath but concealing his gun in his back. His pants were clean, though. All buckled and proper. He wore snake-skin boots on his feet and a Rolex on his wrist (most-likely stolen). He had no major, obvious scars, not anyone could see from the initial appearance anyway. Jeane had mentioned something about that when they first met, to which Coyote slyly replied, "If you do it right the first time, you don't get scars. If you get away, you don't get scars."

Coyote was simply a common criminal that for some reason could not cope with the idea of a regular, honest living (something the both of them had in common). He was kleptomaniacal, belligerent, arrogant, and made of all the usual favorite bits and pieces of an assassin.

"Ah, Mister Coyote, I am very happy you could make it today!" She said in a warm, energetic, business voice.

"It is good to see you, too, Ms. Ofdensen." His voice is husky but purrs with formality. He speaks with the tongue of a predator, callous and ruthless in the ears of his fellow beast, but smooth and calm in the ears of prey or potential prey. And if it were any other scenario, that was what Sylvia would be. Prey. He would do his normal thing and lure her into a sense of comfort and take what he wanted. Savagely most likely. Just above the extreme that Sylvia discreetly, yet not secretly, craved. But this was not the case. This was a case of the rare occurrence where the predator does not go for the easier meal, but goes to what bigger meal the small one may lead him. Wolves do not eat crows. It was a fact of life. Therefore, Senor Ramirez treated Ms. "Christine Ofdensen" like an esteemed business partner.

Coyote's raspy voice commanded in an everyday fashion, "So. Let's get down to the brass tacks."

"Ah, yes, right to the point! Your fee?"

Coyote handed her a receipt for a bank deposit he recently made of over fifty thousand LB. Sylvia examined it and nodded in approval. "Ah, very good, Mister Coyote."

Sylvia produced a manila envelope for her assassin client. Within it was a file and a couple of pictures. Coyote took it and opened it for further examination.

"His name is Tyler McCormick. But he seems to go by the Blood Mage in some circles. Apparently, he's into the occult. He's also into violence. Lots and lots of violence."

Jeane approached Coyote, like most of her "recruits", at a local bar. He was hitting on her, but she diverted his attention, in all her feminine wiles, with the prospect of making some money. Coyote happily obliged to listen to her talk about the business of killing. Coyote, no surprise, just so happened to owe some money to some shady people and was in need of some cash.

"Where do I find him?" Coyote asked, Latin-American accent purring and growling with every word.

"You'll find him in his mansion about twenty miles away from here. I should warn you, though. He has a fairly tight security system."

"You leave that to me." He purred. "There is no lock in the world that can't be picked, nor wire be crossed."

"There's more to McCormick than wires and locks."

"Trust me. I've gotten myself through some tight spots before."

Sylvia shrugged. "Fair enough. I'll leave you to your devices. Call me before you begin your battle. You have two hours to eliminate McCormick. If you win, call me again to begin the transaction on your prize money. If you don't call before then, no cash, but you still get the title of #46. And if you lose, well...I think we all know what happens."

"Don't worry. I'm a professional."

"Don't forget, do not talk to any other assassin or agent without talking to me first. There are plenty of sick bastards out there that would not hesitate to bring you to your knees in any form of fashion necessary, including posing as a UAA Agent."

"Whatever you say." Coyote assured.

"Well then, Mister Ramirez, I bid you ado. Good luck on your mission. Head for the garden of madness!...And don't forget to call me!"

Coyote replied with a "Will do, chica."

The kleptomaniacal killer stuck the file under his wife-beater and into his pants, concealing a nice six-pack Sylvia quietly, mentally complimented. He pulled his beater over it.

"Adios por a hora, amiga."

"Hasta que tu batalla." Sylvia mused.

Coyote turned around and lept off the building. Part of Sylvia was compelled to go after him and see where he lands. But the other, more composed majority or herself tethered her compulsions and turned her around. Back to the door. She needed to hide herself from the evil eyes of satellites and possible surveillance. A few flights of stairs later and she was in the conference/ballroom area of the Union Hotel in New York.

Sylvia went back to work as a PR agent for the Clover Public Relations Company from Britain. She had begun working there a few months after she moved back to Europe.

Wait...we are getting ahead of ourselves here. Let's rewind this a little bit...

Scene.

Three years before.

Travis and Henry were fighting each other down the streets of Santa Destroy. They leaped in the air and clashed sabers. But the battle was still a stalemate. Sylvia was the one who broke it up. She was driving down the streets in Henry's rented car and slammed her breaks as soon as she saw them. She called out to Henry and told him to get in the car. A minute behind her were the familiar black cars of UAA agents. Henry reluctantly climbed in and they drove off for the interstate. They left Travis behind.

Things were a little blurry after that. Not from a lack of memory, but because she was in a panic state. A desperate struggle of her foolishness and the backlash of karma.

Sylvia remembered driving at as high a speed as she could while dodging civillian vehicles, evading the UAA, and running away from Travis, who had caught up with them on his motorcycle and was hell bent on revenge. Henry got out of the car and actually fought him as they rode east to the state line. Henry defeated Travis a few miles outside of Santa Destroy. She forgot how, but he did. She remembered seeing the image Travis losing control of his bike in her rear-view mirror. But Travis was the last of their worries after that.

The UAA had caught onto Sylvia's scheme with Travis and the other assassins. Not only did she lose her job, but her acts deemed her and Henry both fugitive rogues of the Association. Travis and Sylvia drove all the way east. After that, it was a very risky venture across the Intercontinental Highway connecting America to Europe.

Henry was another problem. Henry never approved of her little escapades. He put up with them because he could not afford to pay for expensive things on his salary. Why he chose to become a teacher instead of an assassin, Sylvia would never know. He eventually forgave Sylvia for her actions, but warned her that he would not be so forgiving anymore. She had cost them their legitimacy and she feared she would never go back to America again. Or so she thought.

Sylvia forced herself to return to the life of an ordinary housewife living with her husband in a quiet home on the edge of Cheshire, England. Henry worked as a school teacher and tutor. It paid the bills but she relied on her scam money to keep her happy. Her parents cut her off years ago. Henry was the only family capable of putting up with her. She was his wife. His housewife. And for the first year, she put up with day jobs, house cleaning, cooking, watching television, walks in the park on the weekends, and so on and so forth. It drove Sylvia insane after a while.

Sylvia's family, the Cristels, were wealthy because they were of noble ancestry as well as a famous line of lawyers. Her father was a lawyer. Her father's father was a lawyer. She probably would have been a lawyer, had it not been for her wild ways. Her mother was the main descendant on noblemen and lived the life of the typical rich housewife. Sylvia, by this nature, was used to the good life and having nice things. She rarely expected anything less that was outside her control. If she lived a simpler, less expensive life, it was by her choosing and agenda.

Sylvia remembered the time when Henry and she first met. They were both attending a private school in London. Sylvia's parents paid for her tuition. Henry had obtained a scholarship to pay for his education. He was an eloquent, quiet boy but full of conviction. Sylvia was her usual clever self. They liked some of the same things and grew close because of it.

They worked well together, too. Henry had high charisma and she was resourceful. His weakness was his conviction and moral fiber. He was an honest man from a simple way of life. And Syliva, ruthless as even she admits to be, could not tolerate or understand how such pride could hinder a person.

There was the double-edge to her life though. While she was in control of it for the most part, it was the fact that she never really had to worry about a thing that spurned her from the comforts of normalcy. She wanted danger and excitement. She craved to see the garden of madness so many others had wandered into so many times. She wanted to throw caution in the wind. And that's why she did what she did.

Sylvia finally scored a job working for the Clover Public Relations firm, a British company that worked with European businesses. She enjoyed it because it meant making her own money again. After a year and a half of successful projects, her boss handed her an overseas deal which featured her assisting Bayonet Industries in expanding their business to the United States. She took the offer as soon as she heard it. After that, it was simply a matter of convincing Henry. Henry protested it from the start. "Are you insane? You're walking into a lion's den!" Sylvia argued that the company was relying on her and no one else to handle the project. She stood her ground. She was resolute and unflinching. And she was not about to let a bunch of men in suits scare her away from her goal, whatever it was. Henry finally gave in but insisted on going with her.

Sylvia watched and assisted people with the coordination of various signs and decoration in the ballroom area. She was in charge of establishing a conference to gather the interests of American businesses. She had to help make Bayonet Industries a company that supported the American dream. A business the American people could trust.

The trip across the ocean was surprisingly smooth. Sylvia and Henry set off no alarms, nor did anyone question them. It was a bit strange, given the ways of the UAA. However, Sylvia chose not to mess with her luck. She simply slipped through the proper channels, met her people, established her new temporary home in the Union Hotel, and did her work. It was mostly networking among people. Something she did very well.

Slipping back into her old ways was a hard but natural relapse for Sylvia. She was only in New York for a week when the itch came. She was low on her allowed cash. Henry had them on a strict budget. Bills had to be paid, but Sylvia wanted to live a little. Next thing she knew, she was in a bar and had stumbled across Coyote.

Coyote Ramirez became Sylvia's new assassin for the sake of paying off a string of debts he accumulated over the past couple of years. Along with his accumulated debts was an alleged killstreak of over thirty men across his northward path from Puerto Rico to his current dwelling, wherever that was. Hence, Coyote's anticipated compliance.

The target, Tyler McCormick was a UAA assassin that specialized in psychic and occult studies. He was not even an assassin necessarily by normal means. He was actually a specialized assassin that worked with Agents in disposing of rogues of supernatural abilities or any paranormal activity related with the UAA. He was actually a lower rank than forty-six. He only actually achieved higher ranks by expunging his specified targets. Sylvia also deemed McCormick a threat. He was one of many people that was capable of tracking her and Henry down by whatever supernatural means capable. She did not know how he would be able to do it, but she knew she did not want to take the risk.

That was the other reason why she chose to start her UAA scam once again. If anyone caught wind of Sylvia and Henry's reappearance, they would be hunted down again. And she refused to have that happen. That's where Coyote came in. Recruiting him was a means to make money, take out her potential pursuers, and provide a distraction to throw off the Association. If Coyote was as good as he says he is, he would prove to be a very profitable investment.

Sylvia stepped out of the ballroom to smoke. Upon producing a cigarette from her purse and nearly lighting it. She caught something out of the corner of her eye. A red jacket with a flared collared. Ripped blue jeans. Flared hair. A tinge of panic hit Sylvia. She retreats back indoors for a moment. After regaining her composure, she peeked outside the door. The guy walked to a motorcycle. A Hayabusa motorcycle. A scrawny Asian guy. Relief curved Sylvia's adrenaline rush but did not get rid of it.

Sylvia reminisced about her time with Travis. The foolish, otaku, killing machine. Her golden boy of Santa Destroy. She thought how foolish and headstrong he was, how stupid he could be. A gullible bastard. She robbed him blind and led him to kill hundreds of people. Twelve assassins, twelve times that in thugs and criminals. And she profited from it. She profited really well. But maybe it was for the best when it came to Santa Destroy. After all, they did clean up nearly forty percent of the crime in the city. When she and Travis were done with it, people could actually walk on the streets again. It was a happier place. She even heard that a corporation was buying property there to improve the town. Sylvia was happy for the gesture, but part of her missed the old days of the UAA. The rush, the danger, the excitement. And that was one thing she gave Travis credit for. He may have been immature and perverse, but she was never bored when he was around. That cocky, smiling face. That beam katana. Those eyes behind those rimmed glasses of his. The Schpeltiger roaring in the between his legs.

"Taking a break?"

Sylvia heard that Irish accent and crawled back into herself. All the memories that bled out shrank back into a dormant state in her mind. She was now, once again, playing the role of Henry's successful wife.

Henry stood in front of her in his simple attire of a shirt, vest, and slacks. His hair was practically a bowl cut but for some reason it fit him. He was calm, collected, simple. A man with a double life but one straight head.

"For the moment. What are you up to?"

"Brought some lunch." Henry held up some bags of food.

"How nice." Sylvia smiled. "I've got time."

Henry smiled and they went upstairs.

And things were as "normal" as they could be...until Coyote calls.


	6. Off Time

**Chapter 5:**

**Off-Time**

Asuka, Rei, and Steve sat at the coffee table the next morning eating breakfast. Goliath was lying next to Asuka's side of one of the twin beds, sleeping off the previous night's kills. Rei and Steve ate bowls of cereal while Asuka, patched with a few extra bandages, ate a plate of leftover potato curry. Eugene Masters ate his breakfast with them via webcam at his office in the UAA Headquarters. Eugene called up the conference to report to them what the Agents had discovered from the battle at the construction sight.

"So, what's the news, Eugene?"

"Upon our investigation of the men Asuka killed, we discovered rogue assassin Albert Hollow among the fallen."

Rei's eyes lit up, "So, Asuka did kill a rogue? We didn't just take down a bunch of homicidal nerds for nothing?"

Eugene sent pictures of Hollow. Steve opened them up from his side of the table. Albert was a red-haired twenty year old with brown eyes and a tan. His preferred choice of weapon was a zanbato.

"Hollow was ranked #36 on Texas' List until a few months ago. The UAA deemed Hollow a rogue under the charges of leaking UAA information, illegal recruitment, unlawful breaking of rank, and the killing of non-assassin personnel. The Agents caught him recruiting assassin as well as non assassin people into hunting down killers of his choosing. The gang he founded is called the Reapers."

Rei scoffed, "How original."

Flashback to the previous night.

The Reapers aimed their guns at Asuka as she ended her phone call.

"So that's how it's going to be, Jigoku Tabi?" Hollow called out.

"I suppose so." Asuka humbly replied.

The Reapers raised their blades and ready their trigger fingers.

"ARRAARFFF!"

Goliath jumped and knocked one of the men down. Asuka jumped behind a pile of steel beams. The Reapers followed after her. Asuka grabbed the arm of one of her pursuers and flipped him over. She steals his knife and kills him with it. She broke the arm of another man, stole his machete, and swung it into the necks of three more men. More gunshots rang out for her head.

**KAPOW! KAPOW! POW! POW! POW! POW!**

Asuka ran behind a stack of bricks. She grabbed a brick and swung it into the next skull she saw.

**SMACK!**

She threw more bricks at her oncoming opponents.

**SMACK!**

"FUCK!"

**CRACK!**

"OW!"

**CLACK!**

"SHIT!"

**SMACK!**

"URRGH!" Asuka stumbled at the painful registration of mild blount head trauma. Her hand instictively lashed out behind her body and grabbed the shirt of her oppressor. She latched onto him and worked him into a piledriver.

**POW!**

She picked up the man's bat and ran for the next man, wielding the slugger like a katana, swinging in a vertical downward motion as if demaning precision.

**WHACK!**

The man fell.

"DOG PILE!"

"OOF!"

Asuka fell as three Reapers latched onto her. She struggled against the weight of over three hundred pounds worth of angry flesh and bone trying to smother her into submission. She grabbed whatever wiggling limb she could and twisted it in a painfully incoherent fashion until a snap made one of them roll off her. She threw her legs around the head of another and tightened them into a choke hold. With one free hand she grabbed for a large piece of wood and whacked both of the Reapers in the head until they stayed down on the ground.

The leader, Hollow, dropped down with his large sword.

"You BITCH! I will have your soul to avenge my comrades!"

He ran after Asuka with his large, wide zanbato.

"GRRRRRRRRRR!"

Goliath jumped and sank his teeth into the rogue's arm. The dog threw Hollow off balance. Asuka grabbed his other arm, sent her palm into his face, and performed a suplex to free his grip on his weapon. She picked up the heavy slab of metal and lifted it just above her enemy's body.

Asuka coolly inquired, "So. What does a shinigami do when he faces death?"

"I won't die." the masked Hollow groaned, "I will simply shed flesh and become my true form. Are you ready for that?"

"Only one way to find out."

"Wait!" the shinigami held up his hand, "You're not about to kill a man when he's down? An unarmed assassin?"

"I just killed your men with their own weapons and a dog. You have no excuse."

**SHHHHK!**

Asuka sank the blade into the chest of the assassin. He let loose a gurgled shriek, then silence.

A couple of the Reapers stood back up, holding either bloodied heads or broken arms. Asuka did not know. She was not looking. Goliath simply growled and flashed his teeth at the survivors. The beast was right. They all had to die.

"Asuka!" Rei called out. The surviving Reapers scattered. Goliath went after them. Asuka ran for her friends. Steve had the car parked right outside the construction sight. Rei tossed Gonoichi out to Asuka. Asuka caught the beam hilt, activated it, and followed Goliath's growl. After that, it was simply a matter of time. An alley, a dark street, and a parking lot later:

**ZRRRRM! ZRRRRRRM! ZRRRRM! ZRRRRM**!

"AAAAAH!"

**VRRRRRRM! ZRRRRM! ZRRRRM!**

"SHIIIT!"

**ZRRRRRRRM! ZRRRRRM!**

"MOMMA!"

Rei contacted Eugene Masters while Asuka's battle began to wrap up. Eugene finally answered after the UAA redirected her call from his office to his home. He told them to go home as soon as Asuka was done. He dispatched the UAA Agents for cleanup and to investigate the scenes of battle. The Team did what they were told. As soon as Asuka was done with the last of the gang, she and Goliath ran for the car and retreated to their room for the rest of the night. Which led to where they were now, eight hours later.

Eugene went on to explain,"Our last reports sighted Hollow and the Reapers over in Bristol. However, our intelligence gatherers deduce that Hollow may have had some connection with the recently deceased 2FLD, which could explain why he would be in the area at this time."

"He knew me by my alias." Asuka informed Eugene.

"We're not sure exactly how he knows that. We haven't had any reports of hacking in our systems for a while. And you don't have a Kamikaze profile established. If anything, we believe it may be possible that Hollow and his Reapers followed you from the convention."

Asuka stated, forking up another chunk of potato curry, "It doesn't matter now. They are dead and we are still here."

Rei chastised Asuka, "Speak for yourself! It took only lousy mission for those bastards to catch onto you! Who knows how many else has been watching us! Who knows how many could simply just sneak up on our asses and stab us in our sleep!"

Asuka protested, "This is something that was bound to happen, one way or the other. It comes with the territory. We must simply learn our lessons and move forward."

Rei argued, "How do we stop someone we don't even know is there? Huh?"

Asuka replied, "We keep moving, and look over our shoulder every once in a while. I'm an assassin. This is part of being an assassin. It's a dangerous job. But I'll deal with it."

"Easy for you to say!"

Eugene intervened, "Regardless of the situation, Asuka, for the killing of Albert Hollow and the Reapers, the UAA rewards you thirty thousand LB dollars. Congratulations!"

Rei cheered, "Yay!"

Steve raised his fist. "Fuck yeah! We are awesome!"

Eugene told them, "The reward for Hollow will come in either today or tomorrow. Your payment for 2FLD should be coming in today. I would suggest you take the time to relax, Asuka, but you know this business. Always keep one eye open. Anyway, we all have a big day ahead of us. So I will bid you farewell for now. Good day, and good luck!"

"Bye, Eugene!" Rei casually waved.

Steve and Asuka waved goodbye as well. Then the webcast went black.

Steve closed out the window and went to some assassin's podcast. Rei and Steve put their bowls away. Asuka continued to eat her breakfast. Rei brushed her teeth. Steve changed his clothes. They brushed their teeth and got ready to run errands.

"Do you have the list I wrote?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, I got it. Did you program that shop into the GPS?"

"Yes. Is your phone charged?"

"Yes. We should be back soon. Call me if you need anything or if shit hits the fan again."

"Okay."

Rei grabbed .38 and stuck it in her purse. Steve picked up a Beretta and stuck it in back of his pants covered it with his shirt. The keys twirled and the door shut. Asuka stayed and finished her breakfast. She put the bowl away, brushed her teeth, and relaxed on the bed she and Rei shared temporarily.

Rei and Steve almost always handled running the errands. They prefered Asuka to stay behind. Asuka needed to lay low after she fought her battles. Rei and Steve chose to go out to make things look less conspicuous. If Asuka were ambushed by anyone, they would also be within safe distance away from them. Besides, they liked to handle their respective personal investments on their own.

Today, while her friends handled their work, Asuka chose to follow her dog's actions, and sleep for a while. She had not slept since the night before the 2FLD battle. Her schedule had been skewed since before she began her UAA career. And, if things did not change, it would continue to be awkward for a long time.

Asuka grabbed Gonoichi of the charger and kept it in hand. She will sleep. But she won't sleep unarmed, and she won't sleep alone.

Rei rode down the street in the rental car with Steve. Steve sat in the passenger seat and kept an eye out for anything suspicious.

"So the alternator for the Nomad is coming in today?" Rei inquired.

"Supposed to be." Steve replied before taking a drag off his cigarette.

"How long do you think it will take?"

"Don't know. First of all, it depends on if they have the right part. Second, it's a matter of getting it put in the car in time."

"We have to hurry. I don't like it one bit that Asuka got surprised like that."

"Yeah, it's pretty fucked up." Steve hummed, "But she does have a point. This is to be expected. We simply need to keep our guard up."

"I know." Rei spoke, "But it's hard not to feel vulnerable when shit like this happens. Asuka may be okay now but it's just a matter of time before someone else pulls the same stunt. Besides, we still have to watch our for our asses."

"This is also true. Hence, the reason I normally stay in the car. A quick getaway."

Rei slung a quick glare at him. "Oh gee, you're a real help!"

"You're the one that's freaking out about this situation. Yes, we are in a dangerous business. Yes, we all put our lives out on the line for cash. Yes, there will always be that risk of death looming behind us like some panty-hungry rapist! We simply will be careful, watch out for each other, and avoid doing anything stupid. Besides, I didn't see you stepping out of the car either! So I don't wanna hear shit from you about me being a coward! If you're so worried about protection, go buy you another gun or something. Or maybe we should hire a bodyguard!"

Rei sighed. "No. We can't do that. We're already feeding, cleaning, sheltering, and transporting four people on one budget. And by four, I'm counting that fat bastard of an animal Asuka is so insistent on keeping with us as one person."

"Hey!" Steve protested, "Goliath _is_ handy! He helped us out before! He helped Asuka last night! You're just mad he ate your cellphone!"

"He ate yours too!"

"Yeah, but I was gonna get a new one anyway."

Rei stated, "I might buy another gun though. You can never have too many guns."

"That might be your solution for now." Steve shrugged. "I don't know what else to tell ya. It's not like we can set up a security system or anything. And we can't just stick a tracker on Asuka. The things are about a reliable as a retarded panda."

"I just want to get out of here as soon as we can. Our entire stay here has rubbed me the wrong way. Feels like everything went wrong."

"We're alive and we got money." Steve reminded her, "As far as I can see, today was a good day."

Rei parked the car at the local Union Bank. Union Bank was one chain of a few banks that the UAA supported. Because of this, Union, and the other chains receiving this support, handled the UAA's financial affairs. When Asuka became an assassin, she had Rei's name put on the account for the sake of anonymity.

Rei entered the building and pulled out her proper identification. She filled out a withdrawal slip and handed her paper and plastic to the woman behind the counter. Rei had two transactions performed. She diverted a chunk of the funding into an alternate account for emergency, and a withdrawal of a few thousand dollars for personal use.

The next trip was to the Diablo Blvd Mechanics Shop where the Nomad rested temporarily. Steve went in and talked to the guys. A few minutes later, Steve came back out empty-handed.

"Shit!" Steve cursed.

"What's the deal?" Rei asked.

"They say they don't have the part yet."

"Fuck! We're stuck here for another day."

"Oh well. We'll just have to tough it out until then."

"If we fucking survive that long." Rei growled.

"Fuck it. Let's get some food."

Rei drove to the local grocery store. She pulled out a shopping list. "Alright. Let's do this." Steve followed in with her, shopping cart in tow.

"What do we get first?"

"Since it's our last night, or supposed to be, we're cooking only two pounds of hamburger helper. The rest will be snacks for the road."

"What about Asuka's groceries?" Steve reminded her.

"We'll get those after this."

"I'm burned out on cheeseburger macaroni. Let's get cheesy enchilada tonight!"

"We'll see."

Steven and Rei combed through the aisles with their list for their desired provisions. When they reached the register, the clerk rang up:

2 lbs ground beef  
2 boxes of cheesy enchilada hamburger helper  
1 lb stew meat  
1 bag of nacho chips  
1 jar of salsa  
1 bag of string cheese  
1 6 pack of can Suplex Cola  
1 6 pack of can P! Cream Soda  
1 pack of sanitizer-wipes  
2 packs of tampons  
1 carton of Alpaca Cigarettes  
1 bag of ice

Rei paid the cashier lady and Steve pushed the cart to the car. They dumped the groceries in the trunk and continued their little tour of the town. Rei checked her scribbled directions and made a bunch of turns. "Asuka better pray this is right or else she's going to have to eat actual American food for once." Steve mused, "I think she would rather starve than eat a french fry."

Rei pulled the rental car into a small strip mall where Brahma Eastern Goods resided in a large box of a space. Steve followed Rei into the musky little shop. The vending space was clustered with hundreds of wrapped, packed, frozen, live, and dead eastern products. The two erranders shuffled in between the many shelves crammed into the little space. The whole place wreaked of spices, aged meat, and frying oil.

Rei held up Asuka's grocery list, which was a long, hand-written amalgamation of ingredient lists for two different curry recipes. Asuka wrote all the little words in sharp angles that were easily distinguishable in English, but Rei could still barely pronounce half of the words as they were. "How the fuck am I supposed to find roti bead in all this mess?"

"It's normally in the frozen food section." Steve's voice carried over from another aisle.

"I swear to god, if Asuka makes me search through this store for three hours, I'm gonna-"

"Excuse me, Miss."

Rei turned around and saw a middle-aged Indian man stood before her. He smiled warmly and asked, "Do you need assistance?"

Rei froze for a moment upon the realization that her boobs may have just scored her some help again. She put on her friendly face.

"Umm, yes, I need help looking for these items."

Rei handed the man the list. In a few minutes, the little Indian man had piled two baskets full of produce and spices.

"Hmmmm....Bhindi massala and aloo mutter. Very good, simple dishes indeed."

"Uh, yes. Thank you." Rei sheepishly smiled. She paid the cashier and parted from the store. Steve carried all the goods in boxes the vendor supplied for them. "Two batches of curry? Seriously?" Rei opened a backseat door for him to place the groceries.

"You know how Asuka is, Steve. We might be in for a long night. I swear the smell of that stuff lingers everywhere!"

Rei fired up the car once more. Steve pulled something out of the boxes of food. A plastic pack of jerked meat. He smiled. Rei saw the little bag and glared.

"You didn't?"

"He, he, he!"

"Steve?"

"Mmmm. Tasty, tasty."

"Steve, if you open that back of squid jerky in this car, I swear I'm gonna fucking brain ya!"

"Mmmmm! Mmmmmm! Mmmmm! Good eatin right there!"

"STEVE!"

Steve split the seal open by a little bit.

**SMACK!**

"OW!"

"What the fuck are you thinking, opening that shit up in this car?!"

Steve rubbed the back of his head and smiled, "You're right. How rude of me. I should wait until we get home and share some with Asuka!"

"You bastard! I'll make you sleep on the street!"

Rei and Steve rode over to the car lot where they rented the Prius and dropped off enough money for one more day. After that, they chose to return to the motel room, where Rei dropped off money for one more night. They returned to their room and Rei banged on the door.

"Asuka! Groceries!"

**THUD! THUD! THUD!**

"ASUKA! GROCERIES!"

A moment later, Asuka finally opened the door. She averted her eyes from the sunlight but stuck her beam weapon in her back pocket. She propped the door open with a shoe and helped carry the boxes in the backseat. Rei and Steve grabbed bags from the trunk. They locked the car when they were done, shuffled in, and shut the door.

Rei and Steve relaxed while Asuka helped put away groceries. Asuka set the sodas and ground beef in the mini refrigerator. She sorted through the potatoes, tomatoes, okra, paneer, basmati rice, and all the other components for her recipes, properly inspecting all of them as if she knew Rei did not check for freshness. She placed everything under paper plates and towels. She shifted her attention from the vegetables to turning on the portable stove and placing a clean skillet on one of the eyes. She let the pan heat up while she returned to her ingredients.

**SHHHK! SHHHK! SHHK! SSSHK!**

**CHOP! CHOP! CHOP! CHOP! CHOP!**

The peaceful sounds of an normal home temporarily filled the room. The preparing of food and the many sounds of the television. The cracking open of soda and the sighs of a day's job done for now. Asuka opened up the stew beef and let it brown, kicking it around with a spatula every other minute while setting up another skillet for frying.

"So. Anything happen while we were gone?"

"No." Asuka replied while she mixed some spices together.

"Wow. That comes as a surpise." Rei mused.

Steve pulled out the bag of squid jerky. "Hey, Asuka. Got another ingredient for your curry!"

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Rei took the bag. "You are not opening that shit in here!"

"AOOMPH!"

Goliath snagged the bag and gave it to Asuka. Asuka opened it. The fishy smell of squid poured into the room like cigarette smoke. Rei scowled and growled. "UUGGGHHH! GOD that's horrible!" She grabbed her purse and went out, "Fuck this shit! I'm going shopping! I want the smell out when I get back!" Rei slammed the door.

Steve smiled, "Nice."

Goliath whimpered. Asuka pulled out a piece of squid jerky for him. The dog happily chomped down on it. Asuka pulled a piece out, mixed it with some of her mixed spices, and bit into it while she continued to work on her curry.

Steve grabbed his computer and summoned the KAMIKAZE site. He surfed his way through the many profiles of assassins across the country, clicking links and skimming through information.

"The Rogue Watch has been updated." Steve informed her. "Your past two fighters have been taken off. There are only about seven known rogue assassins within Texas right now."

"Who knows who will pop up next."

"Apparently it's among a chainsaw-wielding maniac, a bull rider, a neo-nazi, a hunter, a mechanic, an athlete, and a pageant contestant. And that's not counting your under-rank or any other killer who happens to have a pair of eyes on us."

"Quite the colorful group of people." Asuka remarked.

"Yeah, they're a special breed of crazy. And that's just in Texas. In New Mexico, there's this giant cult following of Lucha-Libre assassins who circuit wrestle with each other when not battling other assassins. In Vegas, people place bets on televised ranked matches. But Texas is known for throwing all kinds of assassin festivals and conventions."

"I thought the UAA was not publicly owned." Asuka stirred the curry together.

"It's not." Steve informed her, "Texas just has _that much_ of an assassin following. Maybe that's something we should get into next. Maybe we should try visting some of these conventions. It might help us out on our mighty journey. It might help you out."

"I will think about it."

Asuka finished with her bhindi massala and stopped only to wash the pans out and work on the aloo mutter and rice.

Steve went on with his research, "We could go to one of the shindigs, eat some food, make some friends, get some numbers, make some things happen."

"It's an assassin gathering, Steve, not a singles' party. Although the idea of possibly meeting other assassins is welcoming, I think we should wait on making such a move until I at least reach the Top 10. After that, maybe we'll think about making more social appearances."

Steve sighed, "Oh well, I guess you're right. It's just that I know it might help to have some friends on our side."

"Have patience." Asuka told Steve, "We'll have plenty of time for that when I get to higher rank."

Asuka finished cooking the rice and set the pot aside and replaced it with a clean pan to cook the roti bread.

"Check it out," Steve went on, "there are loads of these tribute pages dedicated to fallen assassins. There's this Singaporean metal band that made a tribute to their lead singer. Apparently the guy was an assassin who got clipped."

"Is not the death of a lead singer the most famous way for an American rock band to get noticed?"

"I suppose. But these guys aren't American. Also, it's metal. There's a difference."

Asuka rolled her eyes and worked on the finishing touches of her curry. Steve spoke up, "I want some!" Asuka cocked an eyebrow and looked at him, "Oookay then."

Steve requested. "Not a lot. Just a little."

Asuka humored her friend and dumped a scoop of rice followed by both curries into a styrofoam bowl, followed by a small break of roti. She handed it to Steve with a plastic spoon sticking from the side. Steve took a bite.

"Mmmmmmm. Good."

"I thought you said you did not like curry."

"I don't like it because it looks like garbage and gives me the shits nearly all the time. I never said anything about the taste."

"It just takes time to get used to."

"I'm not that patient for food." Steve mused and finished his little bowl. "Besides, I'm tired of eating gas-station burritos for lunch."

"Then make yourself a lunch."

"No thanks. I think I might be fine now." Steve smiled.

Asuka simply returned to the task at hand. She washed out the plastic containers that normally kept her meals and set them out before her. She dolloped spoonfuls of rice on one side, placing the curry in the other, and setting a piece of roti bread on top. She sealed them shut and placed them in the refrigerator for now. She pulled herself up and opened the hotel room door to let the strange smells air out.

Rei looked around in the local strip mall boutique for new clothes. She skimmed through a couple of racks for a nice shirt or a good pair of shoes. She studied the skirt section a little more in-depth before looking at some belts. Or perhaps some bracelets? Rei had a weakspot for jewelry.

Rei always felt the need to look fresh and fashionable whenever necessary. It helped her keep her composure to have at least some control over her life. She did not like the feeling of relying on Asuka as a meal ticket, but given their circumstances, she had no real choice at the moment. Besides, she was Asuka's personal manager. She was represent an assassin. For that alone, she had to look good.

Rei looked at a little shelf for lip gloss. Lip gloss was nice. All colors and flavors. Some cheap, some pricey. Cherry was always her favorite. So common but so classic. She picked up a little cherry gloss and set it with her few other purchases on the counter.

"Will that be all today, Miss?" the lady asked with a Texas southern accent.

"Yes, thank you." Rei spoke formally and checked on her phone. There were no missed calls or text messages. Apparently Steve and Asuka were fine on their own.

Rei caught a glimpse of someone out of the corner of her eyes. A couple of nerds were hanging around outside. Star Wars nerds. They were leaning against a column and sucking down slushies. Rei's hand went for her purse, slipping two fingers on some cash, the other three digits for her 38. She forced the majority away from their cause and grabbed the cash. She set a few large bills down to pay for her things, still eyeing the nerds while handling her business.

The cashier broke her concentration, "Yeah, those weirdos have been hanging around all over the city since that weird convention started. It's kinda annoying. They won't stop loitering this place because there's a comic book store just down this strip."

"Oh. Great." Rei dreaded.

"_Yeah_, they get pretty annoying after a while." The cashier complained, "They just hang around and play stupid card games or duel with their little sabers. Don't they know people are trying to run establishments here? How the hell is a girl supposed to look _moe_ when she's got all these geeks crampin' her style?"

Rei now did not know what disturbed her more, the nerd colony just a few yards away or the Texas girl who knows virtually nothing of Japanese culture calling herself moe like it's the latest fad. Rei took that as her cue to leave. She grabbed her change, her receipt, and bailed out of there, making sure to not make eye contact with anyone.

Rei walked as inconspicuous as possible out the door and past the guards. She swiftly walked to her car, keys in one hand, shopping bag in the other, doors unlocked, checking the backseat, and in she went. The engine came alive and Rei pulled out of the parking lot, making her way back to the comfort zone that was the motel room.

"Fucking nerds." Rei growled.

Asuka and Steve humored themselves and made sure that the curry and squid smells were gone before she came back. It was a simple matter of spraying some frebreeze, packing away the jerky, and brushing one's teeth to get rid of nearly all of it. Goliath's squid breath was poorly remedied with some curry.

Rei finally came home with some shopping bags full of items and slipped off her wedge-heel shoes. "Oh good, the smell's gone."

"Yes, you can rest easy, knowing that the meat of the tentacle beast will not be out to get you with its mighty stench!" Steve mused.

"Yes, let's hope it stays that way!" Rei warned him. "I wouldn't want anyone giving away our position with the smell of pulverized dried fish."

Steve fought back a snicker and failed. Rei cracked Steve in the back of the head with her fist.

"OOWWWWW! DAMNIT WOMAN!"

"DON'T THINK I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE THINKING! I KNOW ALRIGHT! AND I'LL FUCK YOU UP SIX WAYS TO SUNDAY IF YOU DON'T CUT THAT SHIT OUT!"

"Enough!" Asuka commanded them. Rei and Seve eventually backed away from each other. Asuka was not afraid to voice her thoughts or feed orders to her cohorts. And regardless of who handled the errands, the finances, and the chores, Asuka was still the bread bringer, and her words were law.

Rei casually dropped her purse next to one of the beds, "So, what did I miss?"

"Nothing." Asuka replied, "It's been a pretty quiet day today."

"Let's hope it stays that way then." Rei flopped onto the bed and watched some TV.

Sunset rolled in and Team Jigoku prepared for dinner once again. Rei cooked up a batch of cheesy enchilada hamburger helper while Steve washed up. Asuka went ahead and set up Goliath's bowl with food, dumping in some of the potato curry and a shot of sake to hopefully cure the ungodly impurities of process canned slop. She then proceeded to heat up one of her pre-fixed curry products while Rei and Steve served their own plates from the pan. They all sat together and business went on as usual.

Rei spoke up, "Oh yeah, I meant to ask you, Asuka, about the status of the costume."

"The blue outfit was damaged a fair bit, but I think it will survive one more battle."

"I've been trying to find another uniform store around here that could supply us with another school girl outfit. But the only uniform store I saw supplied only the basic career attire and the few fashion stores with uniforms only feature the basic shirt and skirt ensembles."

Asuka assured her, "That's fine. It might be handy to wear something a bit more suitable for the weather. My outfits are fine, but they can be a bit hindering when it comes to this heat."

Rei protested, "But they're so plain! So neutral! They're not part of the Jigoku Tabi brand! The schoolgirl outfit's part of the signature look!"

"What look? What brand?" Asuka mused, "The trait that denotes Jigoku Tabi is the mask. Not the uniform."

"But it's what people recognize you by! Superman has his costume, Batman has the cap and the....ears...thing, and Wolverine has the claws. You have the mask, the schoolgirl clothes, and the weird light saber! That is you!"

"First of all, no one should be recognizing me or the persona." Asuka reminded her two partners, "People should not be able to know who I am because this is not about becoming famous! This is about finding out what happened to my family! That was what this was about when I started! I was just some girl with my school clothes, a mask, and a weapon because that was all I had at the time!"

"All the more reason to keep it to tradition!" Rei argued, "To let you wear crappy American clothes would be an insult to a Japanese story! Besides, school clothes work here like they do in Japan. If you wear some of the local stuff here, people will know what region you're in. They'll use that and try to find you!"

Asuka was flustered but she maintained herself and continued to eat her routine meal. "I am not here to become famous, nor am I a brand. People should not even know of me unless I am supposed to fight them."

Rei growled, "Your linear, lone-wolf-vengeance-thought process won't get you far, Asuka. You need to be thinking bigger. I don't know how they handle shit in Japan, but here in the States, assassins get stories. Not just by themselves. People have eyes, ears, mouths, cameras, and websites. How the hell you think those assholes found us last night? Deadliest give-aways are word of mouth and the typed message. You keep talking about how situations that are _bound_ to happen? Well, so is this shit!"

Asuka firmly replied to her, "Then I will tell you what I told Steve. We will wait until I am a higher rank before taking on such issues. You are the one who keeps telling me that I need to become a better fighter. Therefore, we will work on that first. As far as the uniform problem goes, I say we order one and just have it sent here. We do not have a ranked match as of yet. Steve's car is still out of commission. We might as well reap the benefit of being stuck here."

"That will take days." Steve spoke up. "If I weren't so sure something was about to come up, I would have done it already."

"We should've taken advantage of that whole week we had from those nerds dippin' out." Rei remarked as she ate her food.

"We cross the bridge when we reach it." Asuka assured them.

Asuka took Goliath out for his nightly walk. This time, Rei made her take a jacket with the Gonoichi stuck in one of the pockets. Asuka chose to take Goliath on a different route this evening. It would not be wise to return to the scene of a battle so soon.

Asuka decided to walk Goliath a few blocks west this time, a simple stroll up and back down the street. Nothing special. She was not afraid of any surprise attack. But part of her was a little annoyed by the whole situation. It made her worry about her position and her privacy. An assassin had to always be on his/her alert at all times. It tends to complicate things though.

Goliath was calm as he trotted down the street, which was good because it meant they were in the clear and nothing violent was coming. The night was somewhat busy like the last, a few cars rode by, some people pass them, things were peaceful. The nights were stagnate and warm. Only a faint breeze slightly disturbed the city scape. All was good. Only the footsteps off woman and beast mingled within their vicinity.

Asuka stopped at a dumpster Goliath sniffed. She carefully scanned the are while her canine companion handled his business. Nothing major made itself present. Only rats or cats moved around.

When Goliath was ready, Asuka moved with him. And they reached a street corner where Asuka decided to turn Goliath around. They reached one of the street crossings. Asuka waited for the sign to flash green. Then they continued their walk with no interruption.

Asuka noticed a bunch of Star Wars nerds exiting a house and talking. Her guard went up instantly but she maintained her cool. She simply kept walking. They were only a few minutes away from the motel. She could make it.

"Hey!" One of the nerds called out.

Asuka froze. She was undaunted nontheless. She and Goliath stood firm. Goliath only one cautious growl but did not snap like the night before.

"Cool dog." three of the nerds pet the dog. Goliath allowed it. Asuka carefully analyzed them. The three petting Goliath seemed like your typical American nerds that just took a break from some MMO. The fourth looked a little cleaner. He wore Boba Fett gear from head to toe in a stylish manner. Jacket, shirt, designer pants and shoes.

"You don't look familiar." One of the guys said, "Are you here for the convention?"

"Uhh, yes, I am."

"Too bad. Sucks it got canceled cuz of those two guys."

"Yes, it is a shame."

"Oh well. Come on guys, I'm hungry."

The regulars shuffled away behind Asuka and the dog. But the Boba Fett man stayed and lingered for a moment. He calmly took a couple steps, then lingered near her ear.

"The 51st are pleased with your work, Jigoku Tabi. Your identity is safe with us."

Asuka's breathing came to a halt.

"Here, this is for you. You're always welcome in our circle."

Asuka looked down at the item he pulled out. It was a membership card for the 51st Legion. She told him, "Under both assassin law and my personal code, I cannot accept this."

"That's all right. I understand. But I advise you keep it with you, just in case. It's always good to have allies on your side. If not you, then give it to your friends. It's safe for one of them to have it, right?"

Asuka looked down at the card again. It was illegal for assassins to accept favors from lobbying organizations for kills. Just as much, it was illegal to kill an assassin or a rogue on behalf of lobbying organizations. Only when you became an Elite could you accept kill-jobs outside of the UAA. But Rei and Steve _did_ talk about making allies and establishing ties. Besides, Asuka was suspicious at to what the Vader's Foot were planning when it came to her. She took the card and stuffed it in her pocket.

The Fett-man informed her, "If you ever need any work, send me a message. The 51st are always open to someone of your talents. Until next time.."

The Fett-Man tucked his hands into his jacket and walked onward to catch up with his friends. Asuka watched him jog up to the group and they turned on a corner. When they were gone, Asuka and Goliath swiftly walked home.


	7. Mr Alamo Pt 1

**Chapter 6:**

**Mr. Alamo Pt. 1**

**RICKET! RICKET! RICKET! RICKET!**

**CLANK!**

Steve dropped his ratchet and sighed a combination of exhaustion and relief as he tinkered and tuned his freshly returned Nomad. Steve's mechanical steed/ home on wheels was a modified Chevrolet Nomad with various muscle-car parts accumulated and assimilated throughout the years before his partners in crime entered the picture. The whole body was red with a black top and race stripes streaking the hood of the vehicle. A revved up engine penetrated and protruded from the hood. The interior was black leather and, therefore, covered with blankets and seat covers temporarily for protection and prevention of hot leather. A wifi router made the car a hot spot in the most remote of regions. The console had a variety of extensions for computers and gadgets of all kinds and solar panels, stored in the trunk when not in use, gave Team Jigoku the advantage of alternate power when the battery died or they shut the car off.

Parts lay scattered under the car and oil stained the pavement. Steve had been making tweaks and fixes on the car all day. The Armenian mechanic shop had tried to "fix" his beloved Nomad. Steve paid for the alternator and chose to do his own work once again. The new part was installed first. And then Steve spent the rest of his time screwing, changing, and aligning anything else that seemed out of place. A hard day's work. But tending to his "home" was a labor of comfort and security.

Asuka sat in the semi-peaceful comforts of Team Jigoku's temporary home. Rei watched some shows on Steve's laptop and ate some nachos while Steve inspected the finally-returned Nomad with its new parts. Rei returned the rental Prius when Steve gave the OK to do so. Goliath slept through the morning, as usual.

It started when Rei was watching an episode of some sort of anime series. Then a window appeared, requesting a conference from Eugene Masters. Rei immediately paused the show and clicked "Confirm".

Eugene Masters appeared via webcam in his usual attire of a three-piece suit and transitional glasses that stayed dark nearly all the time. His mouth creased in the normal warmth but felt too urgent for a smile.

"Ah, good morning Team Jigoku."

"Good Morning, Eugene. What's up?"

"Your next ranked battle has been arranged."

"Already? That was fast." Rei remarked.

"Yes, but there is a catch with this one."

Asuka inquired, "What is the catch?"

"Your current upper-rank is being investigated for rogue activity." Eugene informed them.

"Who is he?"

"The target's name is Harry Danvers, also known as Mr. Alamo. He's currently residing in the outskirts of Austin. He was once a bounty hunter working for the local authorities as well as the UAA but Agents have spotted him doing business with local organized crime, biker gangs to be more specific."

Eugene sent the pictures of the file.

Rei asked Eugene, "So he's under investigation for organized crime?"

"Among other things. Our intelligence tells us that he may be dealing crystal meth with the local biker gang, the Steel Bastards, as well as killing for the associated syndicates. He is not yet officialy deemed a rogue. The process has not been complete. If you reach Austin and dispatch Alamo before the UAA officially brand him, you will become #12 of the Texas Top 20. If he is deemed a rogue before you reach him, the kill will still be rewarded, however, someone of a slightly higher score will take your title."

"Someone else? Who?"

"There is someone transferring from Oaklahoma. An old-school cowboy with a knack for demolition apparently."

"A shuffle? Fuck that shit! We're already there!" Rei declared.

A shuffle was the term given to someone who became a certain rank in a system from transferring to another location. The actual rank of an assassin was not just based on their position in the state, but also on other factors like skills, target patterns (upper-rank or under-rank), the movement of the assassin (is she a nomad or does she stay stationary in one certain region) previous targets, and special certifications. This was a handy system as far as having the most skilled warriors be the top fighters. However, if a prospect were fighting her way up the charts, it would prove to be very difficult for her when sometimes, she could be denied her title when someone of more prowess, dexterity, and bounties under his belt could break in line by mere experience. However, this never unnerved Asuka, as she too was a shuffle who moved from California to Texas.

"Where was this Alamo last located?" Asuka spoke.

"He was last seen in a wooded region a couple miles away from the Austin county line. A place called Hellwood. We haven't seen Alamo personally but numerous of his associates have been spotted going down county roads around in the Hellwood area. If you really want Alamo, then I advise you be swift and look for his biker friends. You have probably twenty-four hours to claim the bounty hunter as yours. After that, the new guy will be your next target."

"I will do it." Asuka spoke. "I will find him."

Eugene sent some links, "Here is Alamo's file then. He is a skilled marksman with over thirty kills under hils belt and five times that in successful captures during his bounty hunter days. His weapon is a modified shotgun he calls Bushido del Paso. His last known kill was a few months ago. But do not underestimate him. This guy is a very powerful hunter specialized in hunting humans for a paycheck long before you joined the UAA. He also has powerful friends that are not to easily be messed with. I advise exercising extreme caution and discretion. And as soon as you enter his current territory, call me so that we may prepare a squad for proper extraction. Aside from that, I simply wish you luck. Go forth, Team Jigoku. And may there be victory in your future."

"Thank you, Eugene." Rei turned off the webcast.

At that moment, everything changed.

Asuka immediately finished her breakfast, slipped on a pair of jeans over her boxers, and started packing things. Rei burst into a fit of energy and dropped her chips. She ran out the room and called out to Steve from the second floor. "STEVE! SHIFT IT! WE'RE ACTIVE! I REPEAT WE ARE NOW ACTIVE!"

"NOW?" Steve yelled back

"YEAH, NOW! TUCK AND ROLL MOTHERFUCKER!"

"Shit!"

Asuka swiftly and briskly zipped up her suitcase and bags. She always had her affairs ready for when the time had come. Rei scrambled all over the motel room, grabbing objects and throwing things into more things. Goliath lifted his head but kept to his spot, much to Rei's chagrin. "Damnit, dog! Move!" Rei stepped over the large black beast and threw clothes into suitcases.

Steve, covered in grease, ran to the door, "What all do I need to get?"

Rei pointed and commanded, "I got your stuff. You go back out and worry about the wheels!" Rei followed him downstairs with stuffed luggage in tow. Asuka continued to store away the portable stove, the pots and pans, the cold goods in the cooler, and the proper toiletries in their respective little containers. The motels towels stayed because they had plenty alerady, but the soaps and toilet paper went with them. Asuka stored Goliath's dogfood in another bag, despite the look her companion expressed, a silent question of, "Can't we just leave that behind and pretend it was an accident?" Asuka, much to her reluctance, packed the food anyway. She hated it for her dog, but she wanted her team to be prepared for anything, including if they had to live in the car for a couple of days.

Less than an hour later, the motel room looked like no one had been there. Aside from the faint little stains that contributed their milestone visit, There was virutally no trace of Team Jigoku's presence. Rei threw a few bills down at the motel office and declared the group officially checked out. Team Jigoku were now on the move in a green, amalgamated, muscle car tearing down the strip.

Rei drove the car while Asuka sat in the front passenger seat. Steve sat in the back with Goliath, who stuffed his head out the window. A cooler and a bag of chips sat in the floor board behind Asuka which Steve used as a makeshift desk a lot of the time.

Steve cleaned himself up with citrus degreaser, handy-wipes, and bottles of water, much to his dismay. Rei refused to let him take a shower after he finished tweaking the great Nomad. Therefore, he had to improvise.

Rei had her wedge-sandal foot down on the pedal and her rage against any other motorist on the road. They were on a timeline to reach Austin and she was pulling out all stops to make it there. "YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" She swerved past a work truck and a minivan and sped up in front of them. Steve protested, "Easy, Rei! We're not exactly inconspicuous in this thing!"

"Shut up! We're going to make it so help me God!"

"It is no major problem, Rei. You do not have to rush yourself." Asuka reassured her.

"What do you mean, woman? You're an assassin! He's the next target! We got a job to do! _You_ have a job to do!"

"Yes, this is true." Asuka argued, "But it will not be the end of the world if I do not make it. If the man from Oaklahoma becomes the next rank, then I could simply fight him."

Rei growled, "Asuka, you have a reputation to uphold! What's it gonna look like if you choose to pass up on this? What about your warrior code! You've already said you would do this!"

"Yes, and I will. I am also driven by logic and common sense. We don't need to overwhelm ourselves with this mission. We must keep our heads on our shoulders, not through the windshield. And we need to be aware of the possibility, in all its forms, that we may not score this one. We are about to drive for six hours to look for a man affiliated with a biker gang that is probably living in the woods. He may not even still be there. I will not relent on my journey, but you two may have to come to terms with things possibly going awry."

"Oh please, he'll be there!" Rei aggerssively pressed Asuka with her confidence, "If he's a Texan meth dealer with a gang for friends, he won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Not if there's money in this. The only reasons why he may not be where he is supposed to be is if either he got warning and left town, he got busted, or he got killed by someone else. Possibly by his own lab. Even then, the UAA would've caught wind of his death by now. They would have to have. If they didn't, then I question their methods. But we'll find out soon enough, won't we?"

"Rei does have a point." Steve spoke from the back, "But even if this does fall through, we still have plenty of cash to room up for a while until Eugene sends the next match."

"This is also true. I just felt that perhaps traveling this far South on a mere whim is a bit...drastic."

"Drastic nothing!" Rei scoffed, "Drastic was moving from California all the way to Texas, even though you started in Cali, which I only went along with because Eugene said that Texas ranked matches were apparently good for the resume! Kinda late to tell me when something is drastic!"

"She got you there, A." Steve shrugged.

Asuka retreated to her mental brooding ground, where she contemplated, once again, on the incident the night before. She discreetly fiddled with the 51st Legion card in her pocket as she wondered. For the 51st to track her, they would have to have followed her, like Albert Hollow, from the convention. Whether they still have any information on her or not, or if they still planned on following her, were issues she had a feeling she would be touching up on sometime soon.

"Hey, Steve, do we have a profile on Kamikaze?" Asuka asked.

"A profile, yes. We have a small membership one for the sake of using the website. If you mean a major showcase of Jigoku Tabi, then no. I never published your image online. Why do you ask?"

"Can the UAA dispense any information regarding the death of an assassin openly, or is that confidential?"

Steve looked up from his laptop and thought for a moment, "Depends. Some systems will allow that, some won't. It's a matter of politics and behavior I suppose. Here in Texas, yes, for the most part, assassins can inquire about the death of other assassins and can even see evidence regarding a kill. However, it's a very shaky situation. Assassins cannot use the information to track down other assassins. You're not supposed to anyway. If you're still concerned about the Hollow thing, I would have to say that I doubt that Hollow used the UAA to find you because he was rogue."

"Yes, you're right." Asuka thought as she watched the scenery go by, "I'm just thinking of something."

Asuka was still concerned about the issue regarding the 51st Legion, as well as any other potential fighter, catching them off guard. Asuka was fairly secure in her position, however, there was always that possibility of someone coming after them. And there was not much she, Rei, or Steve could do about it. That was very much the truth. But she worried how big the situation may be if certain organizations were spying on them. Besides, Rei and Steve put their lives on the line when they volunteered to become Asuka's support crew. They always ran the risk of being killed in action, despite not being killers themselves. And despite their flaws, Asuka valued her crew very much.

Hellwood, TX: The Devilman's Diner.

A flock of five Bastards roared and rambled on around the pool tables, knocking balls, drinking beers, and enjoying their evening. Burly, red-skinned, leather-and-jean-clad muscle men with wrath on their breath and the call of the wild stewing in their lungs among all the smoke and scar tissue from substance abuse of all kind.

"Another round!" The leader called out.

A waitress shuffled over with a tray of five cold Caballeros. The Bastards happily snatched them and pumped themselves full of alcohol once again. The laughter bellowed. Balls clacked. And the music kept playing.

One of the Bastards made himself comfortable at the bar with a line of other locals. He drank his beer and messed with his cellphone, punching numbers and checking text messages. Friends. Family. Contacts. The weekend agenda. The trips to make. The next head on the list. Pics of that one guy he and his friends had a "party" with that really should disappear but his pride hesitated on the delete button every time he came across them.

"Miss, you can't smoke in here." A bartender called out.

The Bastard shifted his attention to the woman two seats to his left. A long-haired brunette with a tan and an unlit cigarette pressed between her lips and a lighter posed in front of it, waiting for the order. She rolled her eyes upon hearing the guy's words and plucked the stick from her mouth and muttered. "Can't smoke anywhere these days, can I?"

"Amen, sister. Fuckin Nazis these people are." The Bastard ranted. "Last I checked this was a free fuckin country. Since when did the gorvernment have a right to our lungs!" He eyed the young woman. She was no local. Not anyone he's seen before. Chances were, she was someone from out of town.

"So." the Bastard casually inquired, "What's your business around here?"

The girl cooly replied, "My friends and I are lookin to party tonight. We have cash, we just need a place to go and stuff to go nuts with."

"What kind of stuff?" the Bastard mused.

"Stuff. Alcohol...maybe some green...you know...stuff."

"Ahhh, I see. So where you going?"

"To a friend's house first. After that, I don't know."

"Sounds like fun." the Bastard grinned. "So...what all stuff you looking for?"

"I dunno. Weed. Maybe some yayo. Who knows? What's it to you?"

The Bastard offered, "Might have some connections. You never know. You got some LB?"

The girl looked the man in the eye and slyly pulled a few bills from out of her shirt. The LB dollars sat proudly and wickedly between polished fingertips. "Wait a sec." she squeezed the cash in her fist, "Why am I telling you all this? How can I trust you? For all I know, you could be a narc."

The Bastard smiled and laughed, "Trust me." he smiled wide and pointed to the Bastard symbol on his vest. "I got no interests with the law."

"You holdin?"

"Maybe."

"What chu got?"

"A bit of green and some speed. Not much cuz it's my personal stash, but I can get more whenever I feel like."

"That's good to hear." the girl kept her cool demeanor.

"Wait." the Bastard stopped. "How do I know you're not a cop? You know you have to tell me or else it's entrapment."

"I'm not. But you don't have to deal with me either. I could easily take my money somewhere else."

The girl slid off the bar stool with her purse and money in hand. The Bastard called out, "Hey, wait! Where ya going?"

The girl called back. "Out for a smoke. Should you choose to come with me and talk more, that's up to you!" She cooly and casually made her way to the door, slightly shaking her ass with each stride. The Bastard admired her from behind as she exited the place with a stir of lust disrupting the usual rowdy demeanor and spreading throughout his being. He had to have those tits and ass, those lips and those thighs, and whatever that followed. Only good times could come from it. Would it matter is he really couldn't trust her? One single girl? The worst case scenario, she would simply have to disappear.

A shot of Jack later and the Bastard parted the doors to step outside. The girl was leaning up against a corner post and smoking a cigarette. With a tap and a blow of smoke she welcomed him, "So, you wanna do some business?"

"Maybe."

The girl dropped the remaining butt and stepped on it. "Let's go to my car."

"Alright then."

The Bastard followed the girl to a red clusterfuck of a muscle car. "That's quite the ride you got there, sweetie." He tried to get the model right in his head but there were no label

"Thank you. Daddy got it for me as a graduation present."

"Your daddy's got nice taste."

The head of a large black dog popped out of the back seat and barked fiercely.

"Nice security system." the Bastard mused.

"You have no idea."

The dog snarled growled for a minute.

"You mind?"

"Goli! Stop that! Down, boy! Down!"

The dog bared his canines for a moment but retreated his head back into the car. The girl trotted to the driver's side door and climbed in. The Bastard followed her gesture to the passenger side.

**Click!**

**Click!**

**ZRRRRRRRRRRM!**

"GRRRRRRR!"

"What the FUCK!" the Bastard cried out.

A long, fat, blue beam of light blinded his eyes and singed the stubble off his chin and neck. It wasn't touching him but the proximity was too close for comfort. Way to close.

"Don't move." the girl ordered.

"What the fuck is this!"

"You move, you die!" a guy's voice struck the Bastard from behind.

"Do you realize what the fuck you're doing?" the Bastard hissed.

"Yes. We do." the girl assured the biker boy. "Now tell us about Alamo!"

"Alamo?"

"Yes, Alamo! Where is he?"

"I don't know what you're talking about?"

"Yes, you do. We know he's with the Bastards! Where is he?"

"FUCK YOU!"

"GRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

**ZRRRRRRRRRRM!**

"AAAAAAAH!"

The blue beam singed skin now.

"Tell us!"

"Fuck you!"

The Bastard struggled for the car door but the beam confined him to his position without it melting his jugular.

"I don't know!"

"Bullshit! If you've got drugs, you know Alamo! Where is he?"

"I'm a new guy! I don't know!"

"Liar! Those patches say otherwise! Don't lie to me! I hate being lied to!" the girl's voice growled wickedly. A fierce kick in the crotch sent pain throughout his body and took every inch of strength in him not to lurch forward into the hot blade.

"Start talking or you'll be leaving this place in our trunk!"

The Bastard fumbled around for his phone and pulled up his address book. He rapidly tapped the "down" button until the name "AL" appeared in large letters.

"HERE!" he shoved the phone in the proxmity of the girl's face. "THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT, ISN'T IT?"

The girl grabbed the phone and studied it. "Hmmm...What do you think?"

"We don't have much of a choice." the male voice spoke. "A lead's a lead."

"A?"

A silent agreement from the Bastard's captor.

"Set up the GPS."

"What do we do with him?"

A song. The phone's ringtone. Someone was calling. The Bastard kicked the phone from the girl and answered it, "HOSS! WE'RE UNDER ATTA-"

**ZRRRRRRM!**

**SPLSSSSHHHHHHH!**

"FUCK! ASUKA!"

**CLICKIT!**

**THUD!**

**KRMP!**

The body hit the ground and the door shut behind it.

"FUCKING A, ASUKA!" Rei cursed as blood covered nearly the whole passenger interior. She threw the phone in the back and turned the engine roaring into life. She shifted into reverse and pulled out, only to kick the vehicle into drive and plow out of the parking lot.

"Fucking bastard bled like a stuck pig!" Rei cursed as she sent the Nomad into great nowhere once again. Steve scrambled and entered the address into the GPS system. Asuka slipped into the front seat and wiped the blood off the inside of the windshield.

"You are so washing this car later, you realize that?" Rei growled.

A mile away, a pack of angry Bastards gazed upon the body of their fallen comrade. The fearless leader commanded, "Get the footage from Bert and call up Shaw. We ride!"


End file.
